Periodic Reporting for period 2 - ODEUROPA (ODEUROPA: Negotiating Olfactory and Sensory Experiences in Cultural Heritage Practice and Research)
Periodo di rendicontazione: 2022-01-01 al 2023-12-31
The goal of the Odeuropa project is to show that critically engaging our sense of smell and our scent heritage is an important and a viable means for connecting and promoting Europe’s tangible and intangible cultural heritage.
Much more so than any other sense, our sense of smell is linked directly to our emotions and our memories. To aid museums in discovering the power of multi-sensory presentations, Odeuropa has developed scientific standards, tools, and data to effectively identify, consolidate, and promote the wide-ranging role scents and smelling have in our cultural heritage. European cultural heritage institutions have invested heavily in large-scale digitisation: we now hold a wealth of object, text and image data which can now be analysed using sophisticated computer science techniques. Odeuropa has applied state-of-the-art AI techniques to cultural heritage text and image datasets spanning four centuries of European history, to identify and trace how ‘smell’ was expressed in different languages, with what places it was associated, what kinds of events and practices it characterised, and to what emotions it was linked. This multi-modal information was stored in the ‘European Olfactory Knowledge Graph’ (EOKG), and then drawn on to create new ‘storylines’ informed by cultural history research. Using this smell history information, Odeuropa has co-developed scent-enriched user experiences and evaluated audience reception to these, combined with a practical guide for GLAMs on how to and bring scents safely into their institutions. Lastly, we have investigated and described best practices for olfactory scent preservation and worked with policy makers to include these in policy recommendations.
The Objectives of the project were:
1: Develop methods for identifying and tracing olfactory references in large-scale, digital image and text collections, across multiple European regions and changing languages from the 17th to the 20th century;
2: Create digital and multi-sensory resources to allow different stakeholders and audiences further their understanding of cultural heritage;
3: Define and promote measurable standards and best practises for preserving and analysing olfactory heritage;
4: Educate and train cultural heritage professionals in the use of olfactory heritage strategies.
5: Develop policy recommendations for cultural heritage brokers, NGOs, and decision makers to help preserve and safeguard our past and future olfactory heritage.
The conculsion of the action is that AI techniques can be used to extract and store smell references can be extracted from texts and images which offers a powerfull means for GLAMs to enhance their impact. The impact measurement efforts of the project have proved the multiple values olfactory storytelling can bring for GLAMs. Finally, the Odeuropa project has helped to put ‘olfactory heritage’ on the agenda of (cultural) heritage policy bodies. Although this just a first step, our research has mapped out a promissing strategy for the near future.
Much more so than any other sense, our sense of smell is linked directly to our emotions and our memories. To aid museums in discovering the power of multi-sensory presentations, Odeuropa has developed scientific standards, tools, and data to effectively identify, consolidate, and promote the wide-ranging role scents and smelling have in our cultural heritage. European cultural heritage institutions have invested heavily in large-scale digitisation: we now hold a wealth of object, text and image data which can now be analysed using sophisticated computer science techniques. Odeuropa has applied state-of-the-art AI techniques to cultural heritage text and image datasets spanning four centuries of European history, to identify and trace how ‘smell’ was expressed in different languages, with what places it was associated, what kinds of events and practices it characterised, and to what emotions it was linked. This multi-modal information was stored in the ‘European Olfactory Knowledge Graph’ (EOKG), and then drawn on to create new ‘storylines’ informed by cultural history research. Using this smell history information, Odeuropa has co-developed scent-enriched user experiences and evaluated audience reception to these, combined with a practical guide for GLAMs on how to and bring scents safely into their institutions. Lastly, we have investigated and described best practices for olfactory scent preservation and worked with policy makers to include these in policy recommendations.
The Objectives of the project were:
1: Develop methods for identifying and tracing olfactory references in large-scale, digital image and text collections, across multiple European regions and changing languages from the 17th to the 20th century;
2: Create digital and multi-sensory resources to allow different stakeholders and audiences further their understanding of cultural heritage;
3: Define and promote measurable standards and best practises for preserving and analysing olfactory heritage;
4: Educate and train cultural heritage professionals in the use of olfactory heritage strategies.
5: Develop policy recommendations for cultural heritage brokers, NGOs, and decision makers to help preserve and safeguard our past and future olfactory heritage.
The conculsion of the action is that AI techniques can be used to extract and store smell references can be extracted from texts and images which offers a powerfull means for GLAMs to enhance their impact. The impact measurement efforts of the project have proved the multiple values olfactory storytelling can bring for GLAMs. Finally, the Odeuropa project has helped to put ‘olfactory heritage’ on the agenda of (cultural) heritage policy bodies. Although this just a first step, our research has mapped out a promissing strategy for the near future.
2021: January-December
We launched Odeuropa website and set-up the Odeuropa network and project templates (Milestone 1). In the first six months of the project, we prepared olfactory taxonomies and vocabularies for historical images and texts, in the second half of the first year, we used these taxonomies to create benchmark datasets for image and text analysis, as well as set up the first version of the European Olfactory Knowledge Graph (Milestone 2). From the collected data, we have identified initial smell narratives and olfactory biases. We also organised three workshops: First olfactory workshop for GLAMs, “How can we enhance heritage impact through sensory storytelling?” (20 May; Amsterdam, the Netherlands/online), the First International Workshop on Multisensory Data and Knowledge (1 September, Zaragoza, Spain/online) and the Malodours as Cultural Heritage? (15 & 16 December, Berlin, Germany/online). We produced 10 scientific publications, 15 non-scientific publications, 2 videos and made over 190 press appearances.
January 2022 - December 2023
All tasks were finalised, all deliverables developed, and milestones reached. We met all KPIs and created quite some extra outputs such as the Heritage Smell Library in collaboration with Osmothèque, the world's largest scent archive and international research institution on the history of perfumery. Looking back, we feel relieved that we were able to reach all these accomplishments, especially since we had to overcome the challenges around the covid epidemic, and its aftermath consequences. We have developed computer vision and text analysis systems for the recognition of olfactory mentions in images and text. These were evaluated according to best practices in the domain as well as shared with the wider research community in three so-called challenges where researchers are invited to pit their systems against the Odeuropa system. The extracted smell references are stored in semantic web database, the European Olfactory Knowledge Graph (Milestone 4), which can be browsed via the Odeuropa Smell Explorer (https://explorer.odeuropa.eu). Three additional demonstrators were developed for users to interact with the data. Next to a more traditional review of the state of the art in olfactory heritage and history (Milestone 3), historians within and from outside the project team have used the European Olfactory Knowledge Graph to aid in their olfactory archival research and have written entries for the Encyclopaedia of Smell History and Heritage (https://encyclopedia.odeuropa.eu/) which can be browsed by topic or via storylines that link up multiple topics (Milestone 5). The preservation of smell and its presentation in museum settings has been investigated through value questionnaires as well as a comparison of chemical analysis methods. Best practices, use cases and practical guidelines for Gallery, Library, Archive and Museum professionals as well as policy makers were compiled in the Olfactory Storytelling Toolkit and Olfactory Heritage Toolkit (Milestone 6). The project team published 40 scientific papers in key publication venues in the different project disciplines. They have presented their work at over 130 conferences, workshops and other events and their work was covered in over 550 press articles and radio and tv appearances.
We launched Odeuropa website and set-up the Odeuropa network and project templates (Milestone 1). In the first six months of the project, we prepared olfactory taxonomies and vocabularies for historical images and texts, in the second half of the first year, we used these taxonomies to create benchmark datasets for image and text analysis, as well as set up the first version of the European Olfactory Knowledge Graph (Milestone 2). From the collected data, we have identified initial smell narratives and olfactory biases. We also organised three workshops: First olfactory workshop for GLAMs, “How can we enhance heritage impact through sensory storytelling?” (20 May; Amsterdam, the Netherlands/online), the First International Workshop on Multisensory Data and Knowledge (1 September, Zaragoza, Spain/online) and the Malodours as Cultural Heritage? (15 & 16 December, Berlin, Germany/online). We produced 10 scientific publications, 15 non-scientific publications, 2 videos and made over 190 press appearances.
January 2022 - December 2023
All tasks were finalised, all deliverables developed, and milestones reached. We met all KPIs and created quite some extra outputs such as the Heritage Smell Library in collaboration with Osmothèque, the world's largest scent archive and international research institution on the history of perfumery. Looking back, we feel relieved that we were able to reach all these accomplishments, especially since we had to overcome the challenges around the covid epidemic, and its aftermath consequences. We have developed computer vision and text analysis systems for the recognition of olfactory mentions in images and text. These were evaluated according to best practices in the domain as well as shared with the wider research community in three so-called challenges where researchers are invited to pit their systems against the Odeuropa system. The extracted smell references are stored in semantic web database, the European Olfactory Knowledge Graph (Milestone 4), which can be browsed via the Odeuropa Smell Explorer (https://explorer.odeuropa.eu). Three additional demonstrators were developed for users to interact with the data. Next to a more traditional review of the state of the art in olfactory heritage and history (Milestone 3), historians within and from outside the project team have used the European Olfactory Knowledge Graph to aid in their olfactory archival research and have written entries for the Encyclopaedia of Smell History and Heritage (https://encyclopedia.odeuropa.eu/) which can be browsed by topic or via storylines that link up multiple topics (Milestone 5). The preservation of smell and its presentation in museum settings has been investigated through value questionnaires as well as a comparison of chemical analysis methods. Best practices, use cases and practical guidelines for Gallery, Library, Archive and Museum professionals as well as policy makers were compiled in the Olfactory Storytelling Toolkit and Olfactory Heritage Toolkit (Milestone 6). The project team published 40 scientific papers in key publication venues in the different project disciplines. They have presented their work at over 130 conferences, workshops and other events and their work was covered in over 550 press articles and radio and tv appearances.
The objectives of the Odeuropa project described in our abstract and methodology can be distilled into five key points:
* Develop methods for identifying and tracing olfactory references in large-scale, digital image and text collections, across multiple European regions and languages from the 17th to the early 20th century.
* Create digital and multi-sensory resources to allow different stakeholders and audiences to freely access and interact with the project’s data and storylines.
* Define and promote measurable standards and best practices for olfactory heritage science.
* Educate and train cultural heritage professionals in the use of olfactory heritage strategies.
* Develop policy recommendations for cultural heritage brokers, NGOs, and decision makers to help preserve and safeguard our past and future olfactory heritage.
* Develop methods for identifying and tracing olfactory references in large-scale, digital image and text collections, across multiple European regions and languages from the 17th to the early 20th century.
* Create digital and multi-sensory resources to allow different stakeholders and audiences to freely access and interact with the project’s data and storylines.
* Define and promote measurable standards and best practices for olfactory heritage science.
* Educate and train cultural heritage professionals in the use of olfactory heritage strategies.
* Develop policy recommendations for cultural heritage brokers, NGOs, and decision makers to help preserve and safeguard our past and future olfactory heritage.